The Jones County Sheriff’s Department recently announced a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the hit-and-run driver responsible for the death of pedestrian walking along Wheeler Road last month.

The body of 28-year-old Marquis Deshaun Lawson was found at approximately 8 a.m. July 25 in a ditch near his home in the 300 block of Wheeler Road. Capt. Earl Humphries of the Jones County Sheriff’s Department said a passer-by saw what he thought was a body off the side of the road and reported it to the sheriff’s department.

Deputy Mike Rowland was dispatched to the scene and found Lawson’s body. Humphries said the location of the body was consistent with being struck by a vehicle and thrown in the ditch from the impact as were autopsy results.

He said investigators talked to people in the neighborhood and got descriptions of a couple of vehicles seen around the time of the accident, but none of the leads have produced a viable suspect.

“The Jones County Sheriff’s Department is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Mr. Lawson’s death,” Humphries said.

The captain referred to the accident as a vehicular homicide, and said the time of the victim’s death has been narrowed to 10:20 p.m.